As I left the alchemy shop, I made sure to go to a place I have passed by many times and am very curious about. A wide open area near the slums was designated as a community kitchen. It was built so that people who can''t afford firewood, use fire attributed mana or rent a house where they can cook their meals can use such place for free. Most people boil water to drink so they can at least feel warm on cold nights. Why go to such a random place? Let''s just say that I found something worthwhile to do starting this weekend.

    As I went around the city the first time, knowing the background of this realm, I did expect to see all types of poverty. I don''t think there is a place where there isn''t a single orphan or person that is considered less fortunate. Given how men are treated in general, it won''t be rare to see abandoned children or single fathers trying to barely get by on a daily basis. When I finally saw this reality though, I was still surprised by how huge the slum area was and the amount of malnourised men and young boys living in it the first time I passed by the place. This is also the reason why I specifically asked Izuku before to hire people from the slum area. No matter how small my help may be, if it can put food on the table for these people for a meal or two is already something great for me. Since the construction project was about two weeks long and I ordered Izuku to make sure that salaries are paid on a daily basis, this should secure food for them during the time duration of the project.

    I arrived at the community kitchen at exactly four in the afternoon. I noticed people are hovering around the area asking for alms. I pretended not to notice them as I started to bring out my cooking pots, a chopping board, a knife and the rest of the ingredients. This place has a stove and an oven that can be used by anyone so this is a good place to publicly practice for a budding chef like me. This government project to help those in need kind of gave them some plus points in my book. Since we are on the topic of fire and cooking, I think I have to confirm if match sticks or fire starters for cooking are already invented here. I''ll put that on my list definitely.

    For now, my goal is quantity over quality so I can feed as many people as possible. The first dish that came to my mind that fits the bill was shredded meat porridge. I should also include a boiled egg for each person to make it more filling and healthy. If I don''t use all of them up, I can still keep the boiled eggs fresh as if they were just cooked a few seconds ago right in my storage anyway. I filled the pot with water and eggs, started the fire and then just started the cooking process. As for the porridge recipe, it took me sometime to actually create it. I get it that it is easy to make but that is back in earth. I had to use books and stuff that I studied in my ingredient identification class so I can find the counterpart items of the ingredients that I used back in my home world. Luckily, I was able to find edible plants that are similar to garlic, onion, ginger and rice in this world though they are named differently. Just this morning while doing my adventurer tasks, I specifically hunted for a wild fowl (it looked like a chicken and they said it was edible during my cooking classes) and picked some wild rice so I can cook this dish today. I have not finished my experiments on condiments though so salt should suffice for now.

    When I started sauteeing the garlic, onion and ginger, the fragrance wafted all around the open area and some of the people hovering stopped and started to look at what I am doing. Particularly a few children started to walk closer and closer to the area where I was cooking to at least enjoy the fragrance. I minced the meat after I boiled it so I can mix it all around the porridge and everybody can get a few pieces per bowl. The eggs were done within ten minutes and I immediately placed them in icy water just like a trained person would. Let''s just say its an unusual pet peeve of mine. I hate removing eggshells that stick to the egg then the eggs will end up looking battered and weird. The porridge took around one and a half hours to cook due to the sheer amount I ended up making. I tasted it a little and I am glad it tasted good on the first try. This porridge is definitely a great way to warm up one''s body in this cool weather. I secretly poured two vials of high grade healing potion I made earlier into the porridge as well. I am already helping out and I am not just an apprentice cook but an alchemist as well so let''s put both to good use.

    I doused the fire to show everybody I was done cooking. For some reason, I was at a loss on how to call on people to eat with me though. I don''t know any of them and I definitely understand they are weary of me. The culture and hierarchy was so broken in this realm that men in general won''t trust me (or any woman for that matter) or believe that I will simply help them or give them food with nothing in return. Heck, they might even think I will poison or drug them to do my bidding.

    This area is impoverished so I am quite sure that food and medicine are very hard to come by. As for my porridge, if you''re sick then you get healed, if not, it''s just a regular porridge that would feed a hungry person anyways. To show sincerity, I took out a small bowl and a spoon from my storage and I also picked one egg and started removing its shell. I scooped out one bowl''s worth of porridge and started eating in front of everyone. This needed a little bit of an exaggeration and acting to entice my first customers, right? I scooped some porridge with a spoon and blew it to cool it off a bit. After putting it in my mouth, I made a contented "Hmmmm!" sound to tell everybody it was yummy. I then bit on the egg to complete the set meal. I showed them how much I enjoyed my meal and that it was definitely not poisoned.

    It took a few minutes of exaggerated acting before my first customer bravely approached. They were two young boys, barely teenagers. They are really thin and could be small due to malnutrition so I couldn''t be sure. They don''t look alike so may be they are just friends or neighbors living together in the slums. They cautiously approached me and with a soft voice, the older one of the boys asked, "Miss... Can we have a bit of what you''re eating? It smells good and we''re really hungry." He and the other boy then looked down as if they are braising for a rejection or a beating. I looked at them for a few seconds and then asked, "What are your names and how old are the both of you?" Both boys looked up and spoke one after the other, "I am Asher and I''m fourteen." Then the other one said, "Jesse, thirteen." My eyes widened because I thought they were both around 10 years old at most. They must not be eating well at all. I then told them, "I am Luna. I am an adventurer and I am studying to be a chef. Do you have bowls at home? You can get one for each of you and come back so I can give you some. Call others whom you think are hungry as well." I then gave them a smile. The two boys were clearly surprised and looked at each other. They looked back at me and then bowed, "We''ll call the others and we''ll be back!" They both ran back to the slum area where I am quite sure they have been living in. I spoke loud enough for the others to hear and I noticed some people scrambling to go back just like the two boys. I continued eating as I was waiting for them to come back.

    After about 10 minutes, seven boys of varying hair colors and features came with a bowl each. They were obviously running in a hurry as they were panting when they got back. The other five introduced themselves as Aaron, Brian, Matthew, Kit and Dylan. Their ages ranged from thirteen to fifteen. The community kitchen area also has a place for eating so I took each of their bowls and filled it up and made sure to give them one egg each. They said their thanks and hurriedly ate as if this is their first meal in several days. I assured them that they can get seconds so they can just slow down. At about the time the 7 teenage boys are having their second bowls of porridge, I saw a few pairs of older men with younger children approach the kitchen with bowls in hand. I did not ask them that much and simply took their bowls and filled it up. I also gave them an egg each. Soon, more people approached. It felt nice seeing them smile contentedly after their tummies are filled with a warm meal. In total, I think I was able to feed more or less 40 people and even gave some seconds or thirds to most of them. I think I''ll do this every weekend from now on.

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    Aurum''s POV

    I was doing my usual rounds in the city when I saw a slight commotion near the community kitchen. There was a long line of people and some that have already been given food were eating happily in the provided tables and chairs. At the start of the line was a woman with black hair and a face that I will never forget. It''s my wife. I know it was presumptuous of me to say that but I just know that I can''t have anybody but her now. My heart skipped a beat when I saw her again after over a week. I know the first impression I gave her wasn''t the best so here I am just observing her from afar. I did not know that she can smile like that. When will she smile at me like that? sea??h thё N??elFirё.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    I looked at my attendants and gave an order, "Clean up this area and improve the cooking facilities and eating areas. She might still need this place tomorrow so start the work by Monday and make sure it is finished before the next weekend." This community kitchen is one of my projects back when I was still the crown prince.

    I am not necessary clueless to her whereabouts since we parted ways. I know she is currently a student of the academe. I know she already has two partners. I could have entered the academe just like the other men sent by their families but I don''t want to put her in an awkward position. I can''t be rash when my future happiness and that of my attendants'' are at stake. I am not even sure if she''ll give me another chance to approach her.